Airush Kiteboarding
We have a lot of love for Airush; an innovative and forward thinking company, we find their kites consistently offer great quality and value, but more importantly, a fantastic riding experience. In addition, they actively champion and support small, independent kiteboarding organisations (like CWA!), so that definitely earns them a big thumbs up from us!
Kites | 2018 Airush
We have tried and tested an extensive range of kites from all the major brands and have selected the following three kites for our hire and teaching range; we believe they cater most comprehensively to the widest range of abilities, styles, and conditions.
Airush DNA
Rider Level: Students, beginners, intermediates, freeriders
Good For: Crashing and relaunching!
Our Review: Part of Airush’s progression range, the DNA is designed specifically for students, beginners, and intermediate riders. A tough and rugged utilitarian kite, one of the DNA’s great features is its ability to take a beating! We love teaching with DNAs because they offer both generous and forgiving control, numerous thoughtful and effective safety features, and clearly labelled equipment for easy set up.
With excellent depowering, easy relauching, gentle lift and some surprisingly satisfying hangtime, DNAs are perfect for kiters who are still mastering their independent riding skills or just starting to perfect their first jumps. We have yet to find a kite company who cater so comprehensively to the world’s emerging kiteboarders of tomorrow.
Airush Lithium
Rider Level: Intermediates, freeriders, and intermediate freestylers
Good For: Freeriding, jumping, hooked-in freestyle
Our Review: Perhaps Airush’s most well known and universally loved kites, the Lithium is an Airush icon.
The next step in progression from the DNA, the Lithium is great for beginners as well as freeriders and old-school freestylers, offering its riders a remarkably gratifying experience, somehow managing to balance lingering and stable hangtime with impressively swift and nimble manoeuvring.
Whilst not as infamous or trendy as its comparable cousins – the North Rebel is perhaps its closest counterpart – the Lithium boasts an army of dedicated devotees, and every year on Cuyo we witness some mind blowing and unexpected tricks thrown with this otherwise humble and unassuming kite. It holds a well established spot as one of our long time favourites.
The 17m Lithium, in particular, deserves a special shout-out: With a design modified to suit its extra large frame, this kite has been optimised for light wind; a well timed sneeze is enough to get this kite flying. Contrary to expectations, though, this kite doesn’t fly anything like a sluggish, weighty, behemoth – responsive, agile, and extremely lofty, this is a kite that has to be flown to be believed…which is lucky, because it’s available for hire from CWA!
Airush Union
Rider Level: Freeriders, and intermediate to advanced freestyle
Good For: Freeriding, wave riding, jumping, looping, hooked-in and unhooked freestyle
Our Review: An all-embracing, all-rounder, the Union is cross-over kite created for the intermediate to advanced rider, successfully marrying freestyle speed and responsiveness with the key characteristics of Airush’s award winning Wave kite and the freeride abilities of the Lithium. In short, it’s just a brilliant kite, all round.